New River Mooring Areas Protect Fish Habitat
25 May, 2004

The State Government will designate new mooring areas in the Hull River south of Cairns to protect the Hull River Declared Fish Habitat Area (FHA).

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) principal scientist Dr John Beumer said the designated mooring areas would include part of the existing mooring area adjacent to the Hull River boat ramp and alongside the south bank of the river.

A new mooring area will also be set aside adjacent to the north bank, upstream of the Hull River Island.

Dr Beumer said a number of unauthorised moorings within the FHA had been identified and DPI&F officers had been liaising with boat mooring owners to ensure the moorings would be relocated outside the FHA boundary.

“These new designated mooring areas will be able to absorb existing moorings in the river,” he said.

Dr Beumer said commercial or private moorings within the Hull River Fish Habitat Area were not supported under FHA management policy.

“However, under the FHA process, there is some scope for those moorings established prior to the 1983 FHA declaration to remain in their current locations,” he said.

“FHAs are defined areas of coastal and estuarine fish habitats that contain values that are important to sustaining local and regional fish stocks and fisheries.

“They are declared under the Fisheries Act only over public land and waters and are managed with the aim of keeping the declared areas in undisturbed and productive condition.”

Development based impacts such as dredging and building structures are stringently managed within a FHA.

However, community access to the area for activities such as fishing is not restricted.

Maritime Safety Queensland has assisted in establishing and declaring the new designated mooring areas.

The agency has a statewide program establishing the legality of buoy moorings and ensuring they are properly aligned so they are not a safety or navigation hazard.

All buoy moorings require a proper permit from Maritime Safety Queensland.

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Media Unit
GPO Box 46 Brisbane Qld 4001 Ph 07 3239 6380
DPI Call Centre 13 25 23 (weekdays 8 am to 6 pm)

Further information: John Beumer (07) 3224 2238
Media Officer: Liz Smith (07) 3224 7757

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